OBITS: The Spectrum 10 Jul 2005; St. George, Washington co., Utah text-formatted by W. David Samuelsen for The USGenWeb Archives Project *********************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ut/utfiles.htm *********************************************************************** Source: St. George The Spectrum http://www.thespectrum.com Helen Eva Ashenbrucker Helen Eva Ashenbrucker was born on January 11, 1916 to Anna M. Skala and Joseph Ashenbrucker in Madison, South Dakota. Following her early education in Madison, South Dakota, she attended the College of St. Theresa in Winona, Minnesota, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree. Following her graduation she spent four years teaching Science and Mathematics in Ashland, Kentucky. An opportunity to return to Minnesota working at the University allowed Helen to pursue a Bachelor of Sciences in Medical Technology. When Dr. Leo T. Samuels was recruited from the University of Minnesota to head the Biochemistry Department at the University of Utah Medical School it led Helen to transfer to the University of Utah. There Helen worked under Dr. Maxwell Wintrobe in the Department of Hematology. She worked there from 1944 until retirement in 1983 to St. George, Utah. Helen was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Antionette M. Ashenbrucker and by a niece, Jane. She is survived by her brother John J. Ashenbrucker (Patricia M.) of Kaukauna, Wisconsin; her nephews Joe Ashenbrucker and his children Cannon and Evelyn of Garberville, California and Steven Ashenbrucker (Gloria) Park Falls, Wisconsin. Helen has been a lifelong member of the Catholic Church and an active member of the St. George Catholic Church in St. George, Utah. She is a silent Humanitarian supporting many, many causes. Her life has been enriched by the many friendships she has developed through the years. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, July 12, 2005, 10 a.m., St. George Catholic Church, 259 W. 200 N., St. George, Utah. Interment will be in the Ashenbrucker Family Plot in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the American Cancer Society and to Hospice. Originally published July 10, 2005 Lamar Parker Christensen ST. GEORGE / HOOPER - LaMar Parker Christensen, 79, passed away Wednesday, July 6, 2005 after a lingering illness. He was born March 6, 1926 in Hooper,Utah, a son of Ivan and Florence Parker Christensen. He lived in Hooper most of his life. On January 31,1945 he married Lena Thurgood in the Salt Lake Temple; they spent 60 years together. The past 17 years they spent their winters in St. George Utah. He was a member of the LDS Church, the Hooper 8th Ward and the Mall Drive Branch in St. George. He held many callings in the church. He had been an ordinance worker at the Ogden Temple. He farmed and worked at odd jobs. He worked at Hill Air Force Base for 26 years in the Accounting, and Computer Systems Departments, retiring as a Supervisory Computer Specialist. He served one term on the Weber County School Board. After retiring he received his State Insurance License and State Real Estate License. For a short time he and Lena owned and operated the Christensen Market and Cold Storage. He golfed and loved to cook for his family. He is survived by his wife, Lena; four sons and one daughter: Clair, Paul (Sue), David, Steven, and Carol Ann Wade; ten gandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Thora Humphreys and Dorothy Fowers and brothers-in-law, Weldon Morgan and Kimbal Belnap. He was preceded in death by his parents, and sisters, Lois Belnap and LaRue Morgan. The family would like to thank the Southern Utah Hospice for their special care. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, July 13, 2005 at 11 a.m. at the Hooper 8th Ward, 5601 South 6100 West. Friends and family may call on Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Myers Mortuary in Roy, 5865 South 1900 West and on Wednesday from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. at the church prior to services. Interment, Hooper City Cemetery. Send condolences to family at www.myers-mortuary.com Originally published July 10, 2005 John E. Pfunder John E. Pfunder, 91, passed into the Kingdon of our Heavenly Father on the 5th of July 2005, at 1:00 in the morning at his home in Mesquite, Nevada. John Pfunder died from natural causes. John was born the 17th of March, 1914, in Rockville, Tolland County, Connecticut to Charles W. Pfunder and Martha Ida Berthel. At the age of three, the Pfunder family moved to Syracuse, NY. He attended school at the Bellvue Heights School District until he graduated from the ninth grade. After graduating from Bellvue he attended Blodgett Vocational High School where he took subjects relating to machine shop work and although he did not know it then, they were to be influential to his life later on. He was raised in Syracuse and that was where he met his first wife, Frances. He married Frances Lucille Church on 27 Oct 1936 in Patchogue, Long Island, NY. After fifty-seven years of marriage, Frances preceded him in death on 14 November, 1993, in Santa Clara, Utah. After his marriage, he and his wife moved to Buckeye, AZ. He worked for several different companies before he eventually got a job with the Becthal Corp and became a quality assurance engineer. He retired from that company in 1984. From this marriage, John and Frances were blessed with three sons and three daughters. In 1967, an adopted daughter, Ida C. Begay from New Mexico joined their family. John and Frances lived in Roy, Utah, Fair Oaks, California, Ogden, Utah, Idaho Falls, Idaho, Tonapah, Arizona, and Santa Clara, (Kayenta), Utah. John moved to Mesquite after the death of Frances because he loved the warm climate and the friendly nature of the people. He met his second wife Jean in a singles building in St. George, Utah. John and Jean were married in the St. George Temple on 27 October, 1995. John joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as did his wife and children in Buckeye, Arizona after seeing the effect it had on the Wayne King Family. They were taught the gospel by Missionaries, Brother and Sister Nichols. After a year of being members of the church, they were able to attend the Mesa, Arizona Temple together as a family and were sealed together for time and all eternity. He served faithfully in every calling he received, including a position as a counselor to the Bishop just soon after he joined the church. He also served as a Sunday school teacher, as high councilman in different Wards and Stakes. Since 1981, he has been a Patriarch for the church and served diligently in that position. He and his first wife Frances served a full time mission in the Minnesota, Minneapolis Mission from 1984-85. He loved serving and doing the Lords work. He was faithful in Temple attendance and worked in the St. George Temple as a Temple worker. Dad did Temple work for his immediate family of 12 bothers and sisters including his parents who will be uniting to greet him and to thank him for getting their Temple work done. Dad had a sharp mind and a love for reading. His disposition was as mild as a kitten, but, his determination to keep his covenants and stand for truth and righteousness were unparalleled. His joy was to be with his family, attending the Temple and keeping the Lord's commandments. He taught the importance of these things to his children. Although he was a man of few words, he stood as a very strong pillar for his family. He dearly loved his wife Jean and they drew strength from each other during their time together. He is survived by his second wife, Jean Slater Pfunder. He is also survived by his children with his first wife Frances and they are: Michael Stanley Pfunder of Phoenix, AZ, Linda Mary (Bob) Housley of Hooper, Utah, Margo Mae Pfunder (Chad Gagnon), of Crescent, California, Christine Ann (Rodwicke) Ybarra of Orem, Utah, his adopted daughter Ida C. Begay (Buddy) Bradley of Fruitland, New Mexico, Jon Daniel (Kristine) Pfunder, of Provo, Utah, Neil Aaron (Roxy) Pfunder of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Besides his first wife, Frances, John is preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, 8 sisters and 4 brothers. A viewing will be held on Thursday, July 7th from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. at the Virgin Valley Mortuary. Funeral services will be held on Friday, July 8, 2005 at the Whipple Chapel at 11:00 am. A visiting hour will be from 9:30 am to 10:30 am before the service begins. We wish to thank the very kind and dedicated hospice nurses and health aides, everyone who brought food, or just came to visit each day to give their loving care and encouragement to John and his family in the last days of his life. Everyone who insured his comfort in passing, we are sincerely grateful to you. Originally published July 10, 2005